According to Plan
by SingerMe
Summary: I posted this on Archive a long time ago but a friend demanded I post it here as well. If you've read it, feel free to ignore it. Chapter 9 has been fixed
1. Chapter 1

**According to Plan**

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

Set before Season One

 **(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(M &K)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)**

"Matt?" Serious big blue eyes regarded him warily. "Is something wrong?" Although, Kitty had only known Matt for a few months, she was already pretty good at telling when something was bothering him. And right now, it looked like something was bothering him big time.

The tall man looked down at the beguiling red head beside him and came close to pulling her close and kissing away the worry he saw in her eyes. But he didn't do it. He couldn't do it. She was too good. She'd know. "Ah, everything's alright, Kitty." He shrugged. "Just a got a few things on my mind, is all."

"You mean like that gold shipment coming in?" She asked watching his face closely.

Carefully, he nodded. "That's one of em, alright."

"Well, don't worry about that." She finally turned away and picked up her beer mug. "You've not had any problems before with things like that, have you?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "Sure haven't. But this is the largest shipment to come in, since they started. I don't want anything to happen to it or for it to fall into the wrong hands."

Kitty briefly placed a hand on his arm. "It won't. You're in charge so I have every confidence that it will be just fine."

Light blue eyes regarded her favorably and a smile turned up the corners of his mouth for a moment, before he finally turned away, took a swig of his beer and stood back from the bar. "Well, I appreciate your confidence in me, Kitty. Means a lot. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and do my rounds."

Kitty nodded and said no more as he tipped his hat to her before turning and leaving the bar. Although she'd meant what she said, and she was sure Matt could handle the gold shipment or anything else that came up, she was also sure that something was wrong. She couldn't place a finger on it, but something was just not right with Matt Dillon.

 **M &KM&KM&KM&KM&K**

Once the tall man reached the boardwalk outside the saloon, he paused at the doors and took one more glance inside at the pretty red head as she went back to work. A man could build a life with a woman like that, a good life and not be sorry a day. But he knew it was already too late for him to think like that.

Although he was only 25, he was already too far gone for her to save him. His course had been set a long time back.

"Dillon, you're a fool." He thought as, shaking his head, he tugged his hat a little lower and set off down the street.

 **M &KM&KM&KM&KM&K**

Matt awoke with a severe headache and no knowledge of where he was or why. Painfully opening his eyes, his first thought was that he'd been blinded but then as his eyes began to focus, he could tell he was in a small dark room of some sort. He could see just faint light filtering down from a tiny window high up on the wall.

With a mighty struggle, Matt managed to sit up and lean his aching head against the wall. Trying to think back, he remembered heading down to the Long Branch to see Kitty and hearing a noise in the alley next to the saloon. Cautiously, he'd drawn his gun and gone in. But that was the last of it. He knew nothing more until right then when he'd awoken.

Suddenly, he heard a noise and the door opened, revealing the dim light of a lantern and a man. As the man was behind the light and there was no light behind him, Matt couldn't tell much about what he looked like other than he was medium height and build.

The only thing that stood out about him was his voice. "See yer awake." The man said. His voice was deep and gruff as though his vocal cords had been damaged at one time. "How ya feelin'? Head hurt?"

"Who are you?" Matt demanded. "What do you want with me?" Though only 25 and officially a marshal for about a year, Matt had already learned how to make himself as commanding as possible and knew not to show fear in any form.

"You ain't got no need to know that." The man answered. "That is, if'n ya want to stay alive. We got our orders not to kill ya, but that depends on you and what you do. Ya mess with us and it'll go hard fer ya."

"We?" Matt asked. "Who is we?" The stranger didn't reply.

"Why did you bring me here?" Matt asked, again getting no reply. "Can you at least let me have some water?" He finally asked, when he saw the man about to close the door. He was hoping if he could get the man close enough, he might be able to overpower him.

However, instead of a reply, the man closed the door to the shed without saying a thing. Matt heard whispered voices so he assumed there was more than one man outside. He already knew from what little the man had said that there was more than one involved in his kidnapping and that this man was not in charge. He just hoped he could figure out who was and why.

A couple minutes after the door abruptly closed; it opened again and his captor tossed him a canteen. "It ain't cold." He warned. "But it's wet."

Before Matt could reply, the door closed again and Matt could hear footsteps walking away. Once the door was closed, he took a drink of tepid water from the canteen, corked it and set it down before laboriously getting up and crossing to the door. There was no handle on the inside and he was positive it was locked from the outside. Rubbing his sore head, he moved back to the floor and took up his spot on the floor again.

He had no idea what these men wanted or intended to do with him. But he knew that somehow, he needed to get out of this little building and back to Dodge. He had an idea things could be very bad, if he didn't.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Evening, Kitty." Doc said as he shuffled up next to her at the bar. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm alright, Doc." She smiled genially at her friend. Doc was the first friend she'd made when she started work at the Long Branch and she was proud to call him that. He could be gruff and caustic, but he'd always treated her well and she genuinely liked him. She didn't know her own father, but she figured Doc was probably as close to one as she could get.

"How are you doing tonight? You look tired." She noticed the weariness etched into his features as he leaned against the counter next to her.

"Oh, I am, Kitty." Doc acknowledged. "I've been up since four o'clock this morning and just pushed the last patient out of my office about half an hour ago."

Kitty noticed a table in the back that was empty. "Well, I'll tell ya what," she nodded back that way, "you go on back there and sit down and I'll bring your beer to you."

Doc nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Kitty. I believe I will."

A couple of minutes later, Kitty joined him with a beer for each of them and took a seat opposite of him. "I've decided I'm tired too." She grinned.

"Well, you don't look it." Doc complimented as he looked around the saloon. "You seen the law tonight?"

Kitty sat and played with her beer mug but never took a drink. "Well, a man wearing a badge and resembling him was in here in tonight, but I'm not sure it was Matt." She sighed.

Doc frowned as he looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

Kitty shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. He just didn't act like himself. He seemed to be a million miles away tonight, for some reason."

"Well, he does have a lot on his shoulders." Doc reasoned.

Kitty nodded. "I know, Doc. But it was more than that. He just… oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just reading more into it than was there."

Doc looked at the pretty girl across the table from him and realized how much she'd fallen for his young friend. In some ways he was glad of it. Those two would make a good match in his estimation. But he'd known Matt Dillon for a while now and he knew how the young man felt about marriage and committed relationships, especially after Lee. He sure didn't want Kitty to get hurt and he knew that was a great possibility.

"Well, Kitty." He shook his head. "Like I said, he has a lot to bear. Being a Marshal isn't an easy job, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Kitty answered unconvinced as she saw Clem waving her over to the bar. "Well, guess I have to get back to work, Doc." She stood and pushed her beer over to him. "No need to let it go to waste."

"Thank you, Kitty." Doc nodded at her as she left to return to the bar. A couple of minutes later, he saw her moving to another table with a deck of cards in her hand and three cowboys in tow. "That girl is something." He muttered. Not only was she the prettiest and friendliest of Bill Pence's girls but she was also the best dealer he had.

Beyond her talent in saloon arts though, she had a great deal more than that to offer any man. Strong, intelligent, brave, kind hearted. Thinking once again of his tall friend, Doc sighed with regret, knowing the lawman would most likely never claim what could be his for the asking.

Later that evening, as Doc was making his slow way to his office, he saw Matt heading towards the jail. "Hey, Matt!" He called. But if the law man heard him, he gave no indication of it as he unlocked the jailhouse door and went in. Taking a scrub of his mustache, Doc pulled his watch from his pocket and looked at the time in the pale light of a nearby lantern. It was eleven pm.

Usually, by that time, Matt was finished with his rounds and heading to the Long Branch to see Kitty. "He really must be burdened." Doc muttered as he turned again to his office, deciding against going over to the jail to see if he could help. He knew if Matt needed to talk to him, he'd come up to his office.

Walking into the jail, the tall man looked carefully around to make sure the gimpy young man that worked as the marshal's assistant wasn't anywhere around, before finally making his way over to the desk and sitting heavily in the chair behind it. Opening up one drawer after another, he pulled out what ever paperwork he came upon and carefully studied each item. He needed a clear example of Matt Dillon's handwriting.

He finally found it in the bottom drawer. It was an unsent letter to someone by the name of Lee, wishing her well with her new husband and apologizing for things not working out between them. "Hmmm." He smiled. "Good information to have, maybe."

Folding the paper back up, he slid it into his breast pocket and put all the other papers back into the drawers. He'd just closed the last drawer, when the door opened and Chester came in.

"Well, howdy, Mr. Dillon." Chester entusiastically greeted him as he took his hat off and hung it on the bottom peg by the door. "What are you doing here? I figured you'd be at the Long Branch."

"Oh? Why?" Blue eyes regarded him curiously.

"Well, uh... you know." Chester answered. "I mean... you usually do." Chester knew his boss was fond of Miss Kitty and stopped most nights, after he'd finished his rounds, to visit with her for a while.

The tall man at the desk frowned but didn't reply for a moment. He wasn't sure how to reply. Finally, he stood from the desk and stepped over to the stove, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Well, I'm not tonight." He stated. "I'm not going anywhere tonight."

"Oh." Chester nodded, not sure what was going on with his boss, but something seemed off about him for some reason. Not only was he not going over to the Long Branch, but now he was staying there in the jail for the night. Wasn't like him at all. "You, uh, you're gonna stay here?"

"You got a problem with that?" The tall man narrowed his eyes.

Chester saw irritation cross his boss's face and took a slight step back. "Uh, oh, uh, no. No, sir. Not at all."

As the man with the badge on his chest moved back to the desk with his coffee, Chester turned away with a slight shake of his head. Nope, Mr. Dillon just wasn't acting like himself at all.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

The night had been long and the owner of the Long Branch, as well as his employees, was tired. But finally, the doors closed for the last time and cleanup was about done. Kitty, unlike Olive and Kate had volunteered to stay behind and help cleanup, hoping a tall man with beautiful blue eyes would stop, as had become his custom, and talk for a while.

But he didn't show. Swallowing her disappointment, she kept her word, helped to clean up and then climbed the stairs alone to her room above. If she'd wanted, she could've had just about any man in town follow her up those stairs, but she hadn't.

Since she'd spotted him in the café that day, and especially since she'd gotten to know him, Kitty hadn't wanted any man with her other than Matt Dillon. She was aware of how he felt about marriage, but she'd been hoping for more than just a casual acquaintance type relationship. And for a while there, she'd thought she might succeed. But that changed the last couple of nights and she wasn't sure why.

Sighing deeply, she tried to shake off the feeling that something was wrong and entered her room, alone again, for the night.

Out on the boardwalk, the tall man stood in the shadows and looked up to the second floor of the Long Branch and watched the light go on in a room on the side of the building. It was the red head's room. He'd never been up there, but he knew which room it was.

For several weeks he had roamed the shadowed depths of Dodge and watched everything and everyone in the town. But his primary focus had been the Lawman and those he surrounded himself with.

He took note of the man's friendship with the crusty old doctor and the gimpy young man who trailed after him and acted as his assistant and jailer. But except for the red head, he'd shown little interest in any of the women in town.

Of course, more than one woman had interest in him. But the tall man with blue eyes and a badge on his chest seldom followed up on any offers made. To this man's knowledge, the stoic and almost taciturn Marshal had only spent two nights in a female's boudoir and even at that, it hadn't been the entire night.

But then again, those two women hadn't had red hair with blue eyes and a smile to take away all the cares any man could have. It was a pure puzzle to the lawman's silent watcher, why he never took the red head up on her unspoken invitation. He'd only spent a few hours in her company and he saw it clearly. Surely Dillon had as well, when he looked at her.

Shaking his head, he thought briefly of going over there, breaking into the back, going up the stairs and taking her. She wouldn't fight, she wouldn't argue and he had no doubt she'd give him a night he'd not soon forget.

But he wouldn't do it. If he were honest with himself, he had to admit he wanted her. She was probably the first woman he'd really wanted in a long time. But if he took her, it would have to be in the guise of Matt Dillon and he didn't want it that way. He didn't want her while he was wearing another man's name and clothes.

No, if and when he took Kitty Russell, it would be with her knowing who he was and he'd be wearing his own clothes and his own name. Breck Holloran would have it no other way.

 **M &KM&KM&KM&KM&K**

Matt paced restlessly in his small dark room. He'd lost track of time somewhat, but he was sure he'd been in there for at least two days. The men had come twice since their first visit and both times had been after dark. They brought him food and changed out his chamber pot but except for that first time, they never spoke.

Matt had questioned them, tried every way he could think of to get them to talk and tell him something. But the one would simply hold his gun on Matt while the other slid in a tray. Neither one would say a word and neither one would come into the shed further than the doorway. And each time, they would leave Matt literally and figuratively in the dark.

As the shed had only the one tiny high up window, which gave very little light, Matt wasn't able to do much in the way of escaping. He'd walked around the small room, hands on the walls and pulled at every crack he could find but so far all he'd gotten in return were splinters.

Whoever these men were, they'd done a darn fine job of securing a prison for him and, so far, keeping him in it. Then there was the fatigue and dizziness he was experiencing. Though he'd forced himself to his feet and refused to allow his body to sleep as it wanted to, his eyelids continued to grow ever heavier and it was becoming harder and harder to stay awake and alert and ready for any opportunity that might come his way to escape.

But Matt reminded himself that he had two things going for him. These men made sure to keep their faces covered and say nothing. That meant they didn't intend to kill him if they didn't want him to recognize them. And he never left town without telling someone where he was going or at least how long he expected to be gone. Since he'd disappeared this time, without word, surely someone would be looking for him.

Keeping that thought in mind, he tried to relax and just wait for Chester or Doc to realize something was wrong and set out to find him, but Matt's instincts told him not to rely on that. These men, though cautious and careful, were still a little too sure of themselves. They acted as though they had an ace in the hole. One Matt didn't know about.

And that worried the young lawman more than anything.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

For three days, the stranger, as Kitty had come to regard him, had roamed the streets of Dodge, doing his job and keeping the peace, but little else. The tall man with the badge and beautiful blue eyes no longer acted like the man she'd given her heart to.

He seldom stopped in at the Long Branch except as part of his job and the saloon was now the first place he checked when doing his rounds rather than the last. Though he was never anything else than polite and kind, Kitty sensed something missing in him. Something that made Matt, Matt.

But what that could be, she had no way of knowing as he seemed to avoid her even more so than he did Doc and Chester. In the last week she'd had several conversations with both of them and they both mentioned seeing little of Matt. But neither man agreed with her assessment that he wasn't acting like himself.

"Aw, no, Miss Kitty." Chester shook his head as he took a draw off of his beer. They were sitting at a back table with Kitty while she took a small break. "They ain't nothing wrong with Mr. Dillon. I mean, I thought that too at first but I realized he ain't changed none. He's just busy is all. I mean, well, you know, he's got this whole big territory and all. It keeps a man running, I'll tell you."

"Well, maybe." Kitty sighed. "But I'll tell you, something isn't right with him."

It was then Doc's turn to shake his head. "No, Kitty, I hate to admit it, but I agree with Chester on this. Matt's just got a lot on his mind and he's busy."

Kitty arched a brow at both men. "Doing what?"

"What do you mean?" Chester looked confused.

"Just that, Chester." Kitty stated. "What is it that Matt does all day that makes him so distant from his friends? We don't have any herds in town right now. There's no big festivals or anything and except for that gold shipment coming in, there's nothing here for him to be really concerned with. And he's not left town so that's not what is keeping him away."

Chester knew Kitty was right. Still, he wasn't about to let her or anyone bad mouth Mr. Dillon. "Well, I don't know all he's got doing, but I don't need to and neither do you." He snapped at her as he got to his feet in irritation. "He ain't got to answer to you."

Kitty didn't reply as Chester drained the last of his beer and then stomped out of the saloon. She knew Chester was defensive of Matt and would jump anyone who he perceived was insulting his boss. But she also knew that Chester wasn't seeing what she did. And what she saw worried her.

Doc watched Chester leave the saloon and then looked over at Kitty with a half grin. "Sure wish I could get him to leave as easily as you just did."

Kitty looked at Doc. "This isn't a joking manner, Doc. Some thing's wrong with Matt. And whether you and Chester agree with me or not, it doesn't change the fact that he is acting strange."

Doc thoughtfully took a sip of his beer and sat back a little in his chair. Though he doubted Matt and Kitty were anything more, right then, than close friends, he knew that already they cared a great deal for each other. They could already read the other like a book. He still didn't think there was too much to worry about with Matt, but he resolved to keep a better eye on him from then on, merely because Kitty was worried.

While Doc and Kitty sat inside the saloon, Brent Holloran stood just outside the doors and looked in at the pretty girl with the old man. Every time he saw her, he wanted her more. She was the stuff that dreams were made of. But Brent had given up his dreams a long time ago in exchange for quick cash and excitement.

Robbing banks and trains and stages had ceased to be exciting a long time ago but it was all he knew how to do. He and his two buddies, Nick and Hoke, would probably right now be running either from another such robbery or to one, if the fates hadn't stepped in.

He and Hoke were in Hays, casing the bank and other businesses to see which would be easiest to take down when he spotted him. At first he didn't see the resemblance other than the man's height which equaled his own.

But Hoke had. He gave the tall young lawman a double take and then looked back at Brent. "Damn, he looks enough like you to be yer twin." Hoke exclaimed.

It took more than that to convince Brent of their identical looks but once he did, a plan began to form. It wasn't necessarily a complicated plan. He would simply need to spend some time in Dodge, watch the lawman and learn his habits, his friends and his job and then take his place when something came through Dodge to make the subterfuge worth it.

Thanks to the job Nick got at the telegraph office, that something was soon discovered. A shipment of gold would be coming through Dodge on the 30th of the month and the lawman was to guard it. That was all Brent needed to know.

With a precision any general would be proud of, Brent, Nick and Hoke quietly moved into the shadows of Dodge City and waited until they had the perfect opportunity to take the marshal. Once they had him hidden away at the abandoned farm, ten miles outside of town, Brent swapped clothes and horses with Matt, took his badge and rode into town to take his place.

The plan was simple and Brent hadn't counted on having any problems. But then again, Brent hadn't counted on the red headed saloon girl. The jailer and the old physician had posed a few problems as well but he'd found ways around them and anyone else who questioned his actions or methods. However, the saloon girl with the gorgeous blue eyes hadn't been so easy.

She somehow sensed that the Marshal wasn't quite the same. She'd stated so to him a couple of times. That was why he'd been keeping his distance from her. But that had only made her more suspicious of him. Now he wasn't quite sure what to do or even if he should.

Taking one more look inside, Brent finally tugged Matt's hat low on his forehead and turned, leaving the saloon. He couldn't do anything right then, he couldn't risk it. But once that gold shipment came in, he just might.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Matt laid on the floor in his little prison, arms behind his head and thoughts scattered. He of course thought about his friends in town. What did they think when he disappeared? What were they doing to try and find him? Or were they?

He always let them know when he was leaving town, but he had to admit, he wasn't the best at returning quickly or letting them know when he was going to be a while in coming back. He resolved to fix that when he got back to town.

If he got back to town. But he kept reminding himself that these men didn't plan on killing him. They wouldn't keep their faces covered and their voices silent if they did. Would they?

Trying to get his mind off of that troubling thought, Matt instead centered his mind on something more pleasant, something, or actually someone, like Kitty Russell. Since he'd first spotted her that rainy morning in Delmonico's, he'd felt a connection to her that he'd never felt for another person, male or female. Not even Lee had been able to reach him as Kitty had.

But he'd been keeping himself apart from her, afraid of becoming entangled with another woman who would react as Lee and others before her and turn from him because he wouldn't, couldn't marry. But it hadn't taken him long to find out that Kitty Russell was different from Lee and all the others.

In fact she was so different that for the first time, since Adam Kimbro had drilled into him the evils of marriage for a lawman, he'd actually considered it. Of course, that had been all he'd done and he hadn't mentioned a word of it to Kitty but the thought, briefly, had been there, nevertheless.

Closing his eyes, Matt pictured the pretty girl and thought about how it might feel to hold her and claim her as his own. The thought was as frightening as it was exhilarating. Thinking of the soft looks she'd given him and the way she spoke his name, he had no doubt she'd be amenable to a relationship with him.

Perhaps when… if, he got back to Dodge he would speak to her about it. Maybe, just maybe she might consent to be his girl without the ties of marriage. He would ask anyway, even as he knew how much it would hurt if she said no. He still wanted to try because he had a feeling this girl was worth more than all the others he'd ever met or been with.

Of course that presumed he made it back to town, safe and in one piece.

Forcibly, he shook himself away from that thought. These men had gone to great lengths to make sure he didn't recognize them by face or voice. He was convinced they wouldn't have done all of that if they were just going to kill him. No, he was certain they just wanted him out of town for a while. And he was certain he knew why.

In a couple of days the gold shipment would arrive in Dodge and for the first time since pinning on the Marshal's badge, Matt Dillon wouldn't be there to see it in or guard it.

He had no doubt, that was the reason he was taken but he also had no doubt, he could do very little about it. He done everything he knew to do, even risking a charge on the men who came to his door each night. But either they were stronger than he thought or he was weaker, because they had easily knocked him cold and left him lying.

When he awoke, he saw they left his night fare of bread and water and changed out his chamber pot. The bread was moldy but he drank the water thirstily as he did each time they brought it, even though it did have a funny taste. But he began to think something was wrong there.

It wasn't until today that he connected the taste of the water with the fact that after drinking it, he became sleepy and before long would slip off into unconsciousness. His mind had been too foggy to put much thought into anything. But last night, when they'd left his tray, he'd stumbled when going over to it and had knocked the cup over, spilling the water.

He was now extremely thirsty, but at least he was clear headed. He realized now that they'd been putting something in his water to make him sleep. That of course put him against a rock with a hard place in front of him.

Without the drug he could now think straighter and plan a way out. However, with no food for three days and now no water, he was weak and would get weaker. It would make escape extremely difficult.

His fate, it seemed, had been fairly well sealed and unless he found a way out soon, he would have to sit in that tiny shed, as he had for the last 3 days and wait to see what happened next.

And Matt Dillon had no desire to wait. At least, not if he could find a way around it.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Brent strode down the early morning streets of Dodge intent on getting to Delmonico's before Chester could find him and insist on having breakfast with him. Although he appreciated the diligence with which the marshal's assistant approached his job, despite his lack of coffee making skills, he hated sharing meals with the man.

Or much of anything else for that matter. The younger man irritated him for some reason. Probably because he was constantly calling him for even the slightest of reasons. He had no idea how Dillon stood it.

Of course, he had no idea how Dillon did a lot of things. Brent had thought that stepping into the young lawman's shoes would be a breeze. After all, he was the same size as Dillon and just as good with his fists as well as his gun. But he soon found out that Dillon did more with his common sense and personality then with his gun and fists and the people of Dodge seemed to like it that way.

People respected the tall lawman because he didn't easily use violence. Not that he was afraid to use it, but simply because he tended to find other ways whenever possible. That was something that Brent was unaccustomed to. He'd grown up in a violent home with a viciously abusive father and when he'd finally run away at the age of 15 he had found a violent way to make a living.

But in order to carry off his masquerade as the stalwart and honest Matt Dillon he'd had to curb those tendencies mightily. It had taken a great effort on his part, but he kept reminding himself of how it was worth it once he and his partners claimed the gold and left Matt Dillon to take the fall for its theft.

Nearing the café, Brent actually smiled when he thought of that. He had no love for lawmen and it wouldn't bother him in the slightest to see one go to prison or maybe even hang for a crime he didn't commit.

But the smile soon faded when he saw the red headed saloon girl, Kitty, sitting by herself near the front. Brent knew he shouldn't go in. He'd successfully avoided her for the most part since he'd been in town and with only two more days to go, he knew he should continue that practice.

But something in the way she sat there, the early morning sun lighting her hair on fire and her expression one of thoughtful melancholy, he couldn't seem to stop himself as he walked in and approached her table.

"Good morning, Kitty. Mind if I sit with you?" He gave her his best smile.

Kitty looked up almost quizzically at him. "Well, don't tell me you remember my name." She said as he took a chair next to her. "For the last several days I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me completely."

Brent smiled and shook his head. "Never." He chuckled. "I've just really, really been busy, Kitty. Besides, usually when I'm up, you're still in bed asleep. What's got you up and out so early?"

"I'm driving out to the Ronniger's farm today and thought I'd get an early start." She shrugged. "I promised Bess, I'd help her with her canning."

Brent nodded as he tried to place the name. He didn't recognize it so they must not've come into town while he'd been there. "So, when you coming back into town?" He asked as a plan of sorts formed.

"Oh, probably around noon." Kitty answered watching his face. She could get never tired at looking at his handsome features, even when she saw something troubling in them. Or at least troubling to her. "Why? You want to go with me and learn how to can too?"

Brent chuckled again. "No, no I'll leave that to you ladies. But I was thinking that if you got back early enough, maybe we could take a buggy ride before you have to start your shift over at the Long Branch."

Kitty arched a brow at him. "You? In a buggy with me? Why, Matt Dillon, what would all of the respectable people in town say if they saw you in a buggy with a saloon girl?" She asked in mock horror, although a part of her believed it to be true.

Brent grinned over at her. "They'd say it was about time the Marshal came to his senses and stepped out with the prettiest girl in town."

Kitty couldn't help but return the grin. Matt Dillon almost never flirted with her. He was usually too wound up for that. But she liked it when he did let loose and actually let himself be a man instead of a lawman.

"I probably won't get back till late." She told him. "But in case you've forgotten, I'm actually off tonight so we could go when I got back. You know; a moonlight buggy ride? I mean, that is if you don't think I'd ruin your reputation."

Brent reached over and grabbed Kitty's hand and brought it to his lips, stunning the red head. "You could only enhance it." He grinned at her. "I would love to take a moonlit buggy ride with you, Miss Russell."

After walking Kitty down to the stable to get the buggy she'd rented from Moss, Brent headed to the south of town. Nick and Hoke were holed up in an old shack there and he needed to check in with them. He also needed the walk to think about what had happened in the café.

He had been avoiding Kitty Russell for close to a week now. He wasn't sure how deep her relationship with the Marshal went and he couldn't take the chance that it was deep enough for her to know that he wasn't Matt Dillon. But when he'd seen her in that café, he couldn't seem to help himself. He thought to just eat breakfast with her and then leave.

But it hadn't worked out that way. The woman was intoxicating to him and before he knew it, he'd offered her a buggy ride and than willingly agreed to make it in the moonlight. Well, he only had two days, he told himself. Surely he could fool her for that long.

As Kitty drove the rented buggy towards the Ronniger's, she thought about the tall lawman that so enthralled her. In looks and voice and mannerisms, he was the same, but otherwise she believed he was different somehow. He was somehow freer and more impulsive.

After all; a buggy ride in the moonlight? She had felt rather reckless suggesting it and expected him to turn her down. But he hadn't. He actually seemed to cherish the idea. It was such an about face from his actions of the past week that she didn't know what to think.

But she knew she was looking forward to tonight. And maybe, just maybe, if she got lucky, her friendship with Matt Dillon would move a few paces forward and she could show him what real love was.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Kitty made it back to Dodge just after sunset and true to his word, the tall man with the blue eyes was waiting at the stable for her. He'd already paid Moss for the continued use of the carriage and swiftly climbed in beside her when she pulled up. He gave her no time to change her mind as he flicked the reins and set off towards the river.

Kitty glanced over at him in some surprise. This certainly wasn't like the Matt Dillon she'd come to know in the last few months. "Um," she looked over at him curiously, "I thought you usually liked to go out to Spring Creek."

Brent said nothing for a second. He hadn't known that about Dillon. "Well," he quickly covered, "I just thought maybe we'd do something different. That is if you don't mind." He gave her his best smile.

"Oh, I don't mind." Kitty shrugged. "It doesn't really matter where we go, I guess. I'm just glad to be going anywhere with you, Matt." She said that last softly, almost shyly; praying she'd hadn't said the wrong thing. She knew Matt didn't want to marry or really want a serious relationship. That was one of the first things he'd told her. She didn't want him to think she was demanding more than he would be willing to give.

Brent looked down into her oh so blue eyes and wanted so much to kiss her, but he forcibly pulled himself back. "Uh, well, good." He looked away. "I mean, I'm glad to be going with you. I, uh, know I've been kinda distant the last few days and I want you to know it wasn't anything to do with you. I've just been really busy and had a lot of things on my mind."

Kitty nodded. "Sure." She answered. Doc and Chester had said the same thing, but she still wasn't convinced that was all. Still, Matt wouldn't lie to her, would he? Even to spare her feelings?

Brent said nothing more for a little while as he steered the buggy to a spot near the river and pulled it to a stop. "Sure is a pretty night." He said as he glanced over at her and then turned his gaze to the river.

"Sure is." Kitty smiled half heartedly. "So," she took a deep breath, deciding to forestall any heavy discussions. "What were you up to all day?"

"Oh, you know." Brent shrugged. "Just a normal day. Paperwork, Chester's coffee, a few fights. Nothing too much fun. As a matter of fact, I didn't really enjoy too much of the day at all until you got back to town."

"Really?" She was extremely pleased to hear that.

Brent nodded. "Really." He smiled softly at her, drinking in the sight of her in the moonlight. He hadn't thought anything could make her more beautiful, but he figured the moonlight might have just done it. "I was really looking forward to this, Kitty." He reached over and gently pushed a small lock of hair off of her face, his thumb gently tracing her cheek bone and then moving down to her soft lips.

Kitty trembled slightly at the tenderness of his actions and she wanted right then, more than anything, for Matt Dillon to kiss her and claim her. "I was looking forward to this too, Matt." She told him. "I… I… I really care about you, Matt Dillon."

"Kitty." Brent sighed. He knew he should stop her. She didn't know he wasn't Dillon and it wouldn't be fair.

But Kitty wouldn't let him interrupt her. "No, Matt. Please, listen to me. I know you don't want a commitment and you've told me all about why a lawman can't marry and I'm not asking for that. I figure that's probably why you've been staying away from me lately. And I…"

"Kitty," he tried again. "Please.."

"No, Matt, let finish." She pleaded as she placed her hand on his arm. "If I pushed too hard or made you feel uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I just want you to… to give me a chance to… to give us a chance. We don't have to marry in order to be together at least not right now. I understand your…"

"Kitty, no." Brent stopped her again. "Look, it was nothing like…"

"Wasn't it, Matt." Kitty protested. "Wasn't it?"

Her voice trembled slightly and Brent thought she was on the verge of tears. For some reason that made him feel extremely guilty, which was not a feeling he was used to or comfortable with. Brent dropped his head. "Kitty, please believe me. I wasn't keeping my distance for any such reason. I… I just… I…"

"I'm sorry, Matt." Kitty turned away and looked out over at the river, valiantly trying to keep from crying. "I understand. You… you can take me home now."

Brent started to do just that, in fact, he knew he should do just that. This poor girl was in love with Dillon and Brent knew she was thinking that the tall laconic Marshal had basically just turned her away. For some reason, he couldn't stand the thought of her feeling so rejected and so hurt.

Brent reached over and gently tugged at Kitty's shoulder. "Look at me, Kitty." He all but demanded. "Please." He added softly.

Kitty swallowed hard and finally turned, shining blue eyes studying his face, waiting for him to put the final nail in her coffin and tell her flat out he wanted nothing to do with her. "Please, Matt." She requested plaintively. "Don't. Just take me home."

Brent didn't respond. He couldn't. There was something about this woman, about the way she was looking at him, it pulled at a part of him he didn't even know existed. Before he gave it too much thought or could stop himself, Brent pulled Kitty to him and claimed her lips in a kiss. Tender at first, Brent could feel her responding and the kiss became more passionate as he pushed her gently back against the buggy seat and moved even closer.

The kiss at first surprised Kitty, than pleased her and then worried her. She had wanted this for so long and she had thought it might never happen. But as the kiss grew more passionate, Kitty realized there was something just not right. Matt had only kissed her twice before, and neither time had the intensity of this one, but even with that minimal amount of experience, she knew somehow, that his kiss had changed.

Finally, she pushed him back from her and broke the kiss. "Matt… I…"

Brent sat back quickly, catching his breath and better judgment. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I didn't mean to… well, it's..."

"Take me home, Matt." Kitty said quietly. "I think we're both just tired right now and maybe its better we talk about this some other time."

Brent nodded and turned back in the seat, picking up the reins. "Yeah," he nodded as he flicked the reins on the horse's rump and started back to town. "I think you're right."

Kitty said nothing as they headed back to Dodge but her mind was in whirl. She had suspicioned that Matt had changed but really had nothing to prove it. And although she still didn't really have proof, she knew, somehow, that she'd been wrong.

Matt hadn't changed.

This wasn't Matt.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

On the way back to town, Kitty had managed to convince herself that she'd been imagining things and the man next to her, was in fact, Matt Dillon. After all, she couldn't imagine there being two men who looked, walked and talked the exact same, unless it was a twin and though, she didn't know for a fact, she didn't believe Matt had a twin.

When Brent finally steered the buggy in front of the Long Branch, he quickly got out and ran around to the other side of the carriage and helped Kitty out, his hands lingering on her waist as he did so. That kiss had not been enough and yet it had been too much. He was now more tempted than ever to whisk this girl upstairs and claim more than her lips.

But with an effort, he finally released her and pulled back. "Kitty," he sighed. "I, uh… I don't want you to think… I mean, well…"

"It's alright, Matt." She smiled up at him, letting him off the hook. "I understand and really, it's okay. I mean, like I told you, I know how you feel about things and…"

"NO!" Brent's voice was low and stern and he forcibly grabbed her arm. "You don't know, Kitty." He snapped. "You don't know a lot of things and maybe that's best. But you do need to know this one thing. "I want you. I want you very badly and right now, it's all I can do to hold back. But I will hold back, because it's best for you and me both right now. But understand this, I DO want you and if things were different, I'd take you somewhere right now and show you just how much."

Kitty swallowed hard. Those were words she'd been waiting to hear since the first day she'd laid eyes on Matt Dillon. Only, despite her convictions that there couldn't be two of him, Kitty still had the weird feeling that this wasn't Matt Dillon. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her arm from his grasp and nodded slightly. "Alright." She managed.

Brent took a staggering step back, realizing just how close he'd come to ruining all the plans he and his partners had spent so much time on. "You'd better go on inside, Kitty." He said, looking down and avoiding her eyes. "Please."

Kitty said nothing as she watched him for a moment or two longer and then turned and went on into the Long Branch. Without acknowledging the several people who called her name when she entered, Kitty crossed to the stairs and ran up to her room. Once inside, she closed the door firmly behind her and wearily sank down on the bed.

She'd never been so confused. How could a man look, sound, walk and feel like Matt Dillon and yet not be him. Logically, she thought it impossible. It was Matt. It had to be. She could come up with no other solution. But logical or not, her senses told her otherwise.

Only two other times, in the six months that Kitty had known him, had Matt kissed her and neither time was anything like that kiss in the buggy. Though not nearly so passionate or urgent, those two previous kisses were somehow more. They had held some sort of magic that was hard to identify or define.

But the kiss tonight was nothing resembling that. Though she'd thought that no kiss from Matt could ever disgust her, this one had almost. It felt wrong somehow in the same way that the other two had felt right. "Kitty, you're losing it." She mumbled to herself as she finally forced herself to her feet and removed her cape and then began to undress.

She thought briefly about going downstairs and working a little overtime. She could use the money and she knew Bill would accept the extra help, but she couldn't do it. She needed to be alone tonight. She needed to think about what happened and decide whether her suspicions were true or she was actually going crazy from working in a saloon too long and loving a man she knew she could never have.

 **(*(*M &K*)*)**

After returning the buggy to the stable, Brent left and walked back down towards the jail. But with each step he took, he knew he had no desire to go there. His thoughts were swirling around him like a snow storm and he needed to go somewhere to think about what he'd almost let happen.

Stopping in the middle of the street, he looked around him and then looked up. There. Up there in the cemetery. That would be the perfect place to go. This time of night, no one was likely to come visit any graves and he had no fear that the dead buried there would object to his intrusion into their silent world or interrupt his thoughts.

Taking long strides, Brent was at the cemetery gates within a few minutes. Walking in, he looked around at the overgrown weeds and crosses made of sticks as well as a few slat boards with the crude carvings of names and dates. Definitely not where the rich people were buried, if they could help it.

The moonlight cast an eerie light on the scene as a night breeze blew through causing the limbs of the nearby trees to sway and leave shadows of monsters not seen in the daylight. But Brent wasn't afraid.

Very little frightened the man who'd been on his own since a youth and who'd seen the horrors of war first hand as well as other things that could scar a person forever. Brent had come through a lot to get to this point in his life and still be alive. He had thought that nothing could scare him. But Kitty Russell did.

Not physically, and not because he thought she could tell he wasn't who he was pretending to be and would tell on him. No, the fear that little red head with the beautiful blue eyes engendered in him was something much more primal.

For the first time since he was a child, Kitty Russell had actually made him feel something. Was it love? He didn't know. He'd never been in love that he could recall. But whether love or whatever, she had actually made him feel and that scared him more than any monster or any man with a gun or any threat of life or limb.

Settling himself against a tree trunk, Brent gazed down over the town below. Though it was too far to pick out any one window, he imagined that he could and in his mind's eye he saw clearly the beautiful young woman, a kid really, sitting in an upstairs window wondering about the tall man she'd taken a buggy ride with.

Brent's thoughts turned to the lawman his buddies had locked up at the old farm and how much of a fool he was to avoid the beauty when heaven and earth could be his if he'd only claim her as his own.

For a few minutes, Brent thought seriously of claiming her for himself. As long as she believed him to be Matt Dillon, she'd go with him, he had no doubt. And later, after they'd come together, he'd tell her then who he really was. Maybe by then, he could take her mind completely off of the stubborn, stoic Marshal and claim her attentions for his own.

But with a sad, irritated shake of his head, Brent cleared that thought from his mind. He'd seen the look in that girl's eyes. She loved Matt Dillon, whether he returned that love or not. Brent knew that he might be able to trick her into his bed, but he'd never be able to keep her there. Her heart had already been given away and she clearly had no intentions of taking it back to give to another.

"Two more days." He said ruefully to himself. "If I could've held out for just two more days, I wouldn't be feeling this way."

Suddenly the sound of gunfire interrupted the peace of the evening and Brent wearily got to his feet, thinking of the irony of it all. Here he was an outlaw, planning on the largest heist of his life and right then he was going back down to keep the peace and maybe arrest a lawbreaker, all the while, worrying about a saloon girl he couldn't have and didn't need anyway.

"Sure is a mixed up world." He sighed as his picked up his pace and headed back down.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

"Morning, Chester." Doc greeted as he shuffled into the small jail house the next morning and headed for the coffee pot. "Where's Matt?"

"Aw, I don't know, Doc." Chester answered dispiritedly, not even commenting on the grimace Doc wore as he took a sip of the coffee. "He took off early this morning, said he'd be back later."

"Well, where was he was going?" Doc frowned.

"I jes told ya, Doc. I don't know." Chester answered sullenly. He'd wanted to go but Mr. Dillon was adamant that he stay there and watch over things. What things, he had no idea. He'd already let the cowboy from last night's little fracas out of jail and there wasn't nothing left to do. But he couldn't go against his boss, so he stayed, albeit unhappily.

"Well, good heavens, Chester." Doc lightly chuckled. "It ain't the end of the world, ya know. Besides, he don't need you with him every minute. You know he's a pretty good lawman on his own."

Chester glared over at Doc. "I know he's a good lawman, Doc. And I know he don't need me along every little second. But what if something come up out there? What if he needed help or something? Huh? What'd he do then?"

Chester's voice rose with each word and Doc knew he'd irritated the younger man as well as put salt on an open wound. Chester was sensitive about the fact that he wasn't as physically able to do some things that others were because of his leg and he worked hard to make his handicap as little of a distraction as possible. Any suggestion, even a tiny one, that Matt somehow didn't need Chester and only hired him out of sympathy, set the assistant off.

"Well," Doc took a swipe of his mustache and sat the mug of bitter coffee down on the table. "I'll tell ya what I could use some help with."

Chester frowned. "What?"

"Eating a big breakfast over at Delmonico's." Doc grinned. "Want to come?"

As Chester and Doc walked over to the café, Brent arrived at the gates of the small abandoned farm and reined in. For some reason, he suddenly thought about what it'd be like to own such a place and work it. A man, with the right woman by his side, could probably make a decent living on a piece of land like this. He wouldn't be rich but with the right woman…

Brent forcibly shook that notion from his head. He was not a farmer and the only woman he'd ever want to settle down with wouldn't have him once she realized what he'd done, not only to her and the town but the man she loved.

Kicking his horse into a trot, Brent followed the narrow lane onto the farm house where he dismounted and went in. Glancing at the small shed nearby where the real lawman was, he noted Nick sitting on a stump by the door and a place on the side where two large, heavy boards had been nailed. Apparently Matt Dillon didn't take real well to being cooped up.

"Brent!" Hoke called when he entered. "What brings ya out here? Ain't nothing happened has it?" He wanted this deal to go through badly and he was scared half to death something might come up to stop it.

Brent shook his head as he took his hat and coat off and stepped up next to the fireplace. The previous warm days had given way to a cold north wind which chilled him to the bone. "No, nothing's happened. All is quiet. I just needed to get away from that town for a while. How's our guest out there?"

"Hurtin'." Hoke positively smirked.

Brent whirled around and scowled at him. "What'd you do to him?" He demanded. "I told you for this thing to work; he had to be in good shape."

"Hold your horses, Brent." Hoke waved a hand at him. "We didn't leave no marks. Least no lastin' ones anyways. He just tried to escape last night and we had to stop him, is all."

"That hole in the side of the shed, where he tried to get out?" Brent asked.

"Yeah." Hoke answered. "He actually kicked that hole into the wall. Me and Nick had jes delivered his food to him when we saw him trying to get out. When we tried to stop him, he fought like a tiger. He actually had Nick on the ground afore I got him a good lick with my rifle butt. He ain't an easy man to keep pinned up or put down."

"How bad did you hurt him?" Brent demanded with a sharp edge to his tone of voice.

"He ain't that bad, I'm tellin' ya." Hoke protested. "Just a tap on the back of his hard head. But I had to get him off Nick. He almost got Nick's mask off of his head."

Brent took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Too much was at stake to have that lawman hurt. Too much for him and his partners and too much for the woman in town who loved him. "I thought you were drugging him like I told you to."

"We have. Been putting it in his water every day but I think he figured it out and he quit drinking his water."

Brent shook his head. Dillon was a smart one alright. "You sure he didn't see your faces?"

"Yeah, we're sure." Hoke hastily assured him. "Honest. We've been real careful. He ain't got no idea who we are or what we look like."

"And he's not hurt bad?" Brent verified.

"No!" Hoke answered with some irritation. "He ain't hurt bad. Ya wanta go and see yourself?"

Brent nodded. "Yeah, I do. Get me a mask." He wanted to do more than just see him.

Hoke stepped over to a table and grabbed a flower sack mask and handed it to him. "Nick's out there keeping watch." He told him.

"I saw him." Brent answered as he put the mask on went out to the shed. "Open it." He told Nick when he approached.

Nick quickly put his own mask on and then stepped to the door and unlocked it. Pulling his gun, he opened the door and stepped back for Brent to step in first.

Matt looked up when the door opened and two men stepped in. He realized instantly that the taller of the two was new. "Who are you?" He demanded, getting up, despite his pounding headache. "What do you want with me?"

Wordlessly, Brent studied him for several minutes. Once again, he was struck by just how much he and the Marshal looked alike on the outside and how very different they were on the inside.

"Who are you?" Matt asked again.

"Names aren't important." Brent finally answered. "You'll find out what this is all about tomorrow or the next day. In the meantime you need to just sit back and relax. You're not going anywhere until it's time."

"Time for what?" To Matt the man's voice sounded awfully familiar but his head was pounding so hard it was making concentration on that or anything else difficult.

"You'll see." Brent answered him. He turned and started to leave but then stopped and looked back at Matt. "Things are going to be hard for you for a while after this. If I were you, I'd think about the people around me who could help me through it and then cling to em tight. Make it a might easier."

Matt frowned as Brent ducked under the door and left the shed and the door was slammed behind him. Rubbing his very sore head, he wearily sat back down, too hurt and confused to do much more. But he now knew what ever these men were planning, it would happen within the next two days and it wouldn't be good for him.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Brent rode back to town his mind on his brief conversation with Dillon. He shouldn't have said anything to the lawman. It was none of his business whether the lawman and the red head were together or not. What did he care if Dillon lost the girl because he was too stupid to claim her? It was no skin off his nose.

Riding along, Brent thought about the young lawman, Matt Dillon. Brent had studied him enough to know that even as young as he was, he was formidable. Strong, tough, honest. He was everything a lawman should be and few were. But he had a flaw that few people saw. He was blind to the girl who loved him.

Oh, Brent was sure Dillon was aware of her. A man would have to be dead not to be aware of her. But as far as Brent could see, in the weeks that he'd trailed Dillon around, Dillon had failed to notice what she was offering, free of charge, to him. He knew the quiet, blue eyed lawman was attracted to the vivacious amber haired beauty but he'd failed, except once, that Brent saw, to do anything about it.

Shaking his head, he remembered the night, he saw the lawman and the red head pause in the shadows outside the Long Branch and share a brief kiss. With a shake of his head, Brent thought that if it'd been him, he'd done more than just kiss her.

But then he realized, it had been him, just the previous night, and he had not done any more than Dillon had. Of course, his reasons were different, but the end result had been the same. Both of them had separated to spend a lonely frustrated night alone. "I'm as much a fool as he is." He spoke aloud again, glad no one but Dillon's horse was around to hear it.

Back in town, Kitty sat at a table with three overeager cowboys playing poker and pretending to be having the time of her life. She really didn't want to be there, right then. She wanted to be anywhere but there. But this was her job and if she wanted to continue to eat and have a roof over her head, she had to do it.

"Hot diggity." Rand McAllister grinned across the table from her. "Damn, Kitty, girl. This is the second time I won tonight. You feelin' alright? I usually never win against you."

"Yet, you keep coming back." Cayce McCool noted from his seat between them.

"Sorry, gents." Kitty sighed as she tossed the cards on the table and got to her feet. "I don't guess I am feeling too good. Fred? Can you take over here?"

"Aw, no, Kitty." Rand protested followed by Cayce and the other cowboy, Ian Stevens. "We like playing with you. I don't mind if I lose, as long as it's to you."

As Fred approached the table, Kitty gave the men an apologetic smile but didn't reclaim her seat. "Sorry, fellas. Maybe next time, huh?"

As she stepped up to the bar, Bill gave her a concerned look. "You okay, Kitty? You sick?"

"Un, huh." Kitty shook her head. "Just got a little hot, Bill." She told him. How could she tell him how she felt when she didn't really know herself? "Would you, uh, would you mind if I took a break? Just to get some air?"

Bill reached over and patted her on the hand. "Oh course not. But you listen. If you don't get to feeling better, than I want you to take the rest of the night off and go see Doc, you hear?"

"I hear, Bill." She gave him a grateful smile. "But I'll be fine, honestly. I just need a little air."

"Alright." Bill returned the smile as Kitty, grabbed her cape, turned and left the saloon. Although it was cold out, she needed some time and the temperature matched her thoughts. Cold and dark.

Stepping out onto the boardwalk, Kitty arched her back and stretched a little before stepping over to one of the chairs lining the wall and sat down. The saloon was busy but out here on the street, things were quiet and she could think. Of course the only thing she could think about was Matt and that kiss.

Her mind was still swirling over that. She wanted to believe that she'd just been tired and imagining things. She wanted to believe that it had really been Matt who had kissed her so passionately and that it really was he who'd declared so strongly how much he wanted her. But that niggling little feeling in the back of her head wouldn't let her.

"Evening, Kitty." Doc shuffled up and took the chair next to her. "Taking yourself a little break, are ya?"

"Evening, Doc." Kitty smiled at her friend. "It was getting a little stuffy in there and Bill said I could take a few minutes."

"Seen that tall man with the piece of tin on chest lately?" Doc slid his eyes over to her.

"Not today." Kitty replied before changing the subject. "What are you doing out so late? I thought you said you had to ride out to the Widow Jenkins' place tomorrow."

Doc nodded. "I do and I was just headed home when I saw you sitting here. You looked kinda sad, maybe."

Kitty looked down but didn't answer. Was she sad? Was that what she was feeling? Sadness? No, she shook her head. No, that wasn't the right word. "I'm not sad, Doc." She looked over at him. "Confused is probably a better word."

"Confused about what?" Doc queried.

Looking over at the older man, Kitty knew she could trust him. Though she'd only known him a few months, she already felt towards him like a father. "Matt." She answered truthfully.

Doc nodded again. "You still think he's changed somehow?"

Kitty nodded. "We went out on a buggy ride last night, Doc." She confided. "He drove down by the river, someplace he usually doesn't go and then he… well, he kissed me."

Doc chuckled before he saw how very serious her expression was. "Well, good heavens, Kitty. What's so confusing about that? Honey, Matt's kinda slow in the romance department, that's true. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings towards you. To my way of thinking, it's about time he showed it."

'No, Doc." Kitty shook her head. "It wasn't his kiss so much, it was just…" she paused and bit her bottom lip. How do you explain the unexplainable? "It wasn't Matt, Doc." She finally said. "I don't know how to explain it and I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just can't shake the feeling that it wasn't Matt who kissed me?"

Doc frowned. Surely she couldn't be suggesting that the towering man with the badge and steely blue eyes who answered to the name of Matt Dillon wasn't Matt Dillon. No, Doc couldn't believe that. Reaching over he patted her hand, before getting back wearily to his feet.

"Kitty, look. Like I told you, before, Matt's under some pressure right now, not only with his job, but with you too. He cares about you, young lady and he's finally coming around to the notion that he needs to show that. Now, that kinda realization can change a man in a way."

Kitty looked up at him with a slight hope in her eyes. "You think so?"

Doc smiled kindly on her. "I do. And I don't want you to worry about it. Things will work out, I promise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm headed to bed."

Kitty gave Doc a brief smile. "Thanks, Doc. Good night."

"Good night, Kitty." He returned as he shuffled on down the street.

Just around the corner, in the shadows of the Alley, Brent stood listening and silently chastising himself. He knew it! He knew he shouldn't have kissed her. He knew he should've continued to keep his distance from her. But he couldn't change that now. Now, he'd just have to include her in his plans for tomorrow.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

"Mr. Dillon?" Chester came into the jail, early the next morning and stood by the desk, looking at the tall man who sat behind it, an untouched cup of coffee and a stack of papers in front of him.

Brent looked up at the lanky assistant. "What?"

"Was you going on over to the café for breakfast?" Chester asked somewhat timidly. In the past week, his boss had been kinda short tempered and had even grumbled more than once about the coffee. Chester didn't want to be snapped at again.

"Uh, no, Chester." Brent shook his head. "At least not right now but you go on. I've got some more work to do here and then I'll go over later."

"Are ya sure?" Chester pressed. "I mean, wouldn't you like some of that speckledy gravy with some them biscuits and honey and maybe a steak and some eggs and some…"

"Chester." Brent gave him a stern look. "No. I don't. Now, if you're hungry then go and eat."

Chester looked down for a second. "Uh, well, I would, Mr. Dillon but I… well, I don't exactly have any money right now. I…"

Brent shook his head, reached in his vest pocket and pulled out three silver dollars, tossing them on the desk. "There, Chester. Have breakfast on me."

Chester looked down at the unexpected windfall and wasted no time and scooping the money up and putting it in his pocket. "I sure do appreciate this, Mr. Dillon. I'll pay ya back payday."

"Don't worry about it." Brent shook his head. "Just go on and leave me some peace and quiet, will ya. I've got a lot of paperwork to do."

"Can I bring ya back anything?" Chester asked as he headed for the door.

"No." Brent answered, throwing a glare his way. "Now, go away, will ya?"

Like any good soldier, Chester knew when it was time to retreat and he wasted no time in doing so.

Brent sighed in relief when the door closed and he looked back down at the papers on his desk. He'd practiced Matt's signature enough now, that he was pretty sure it'd pass inspection. Now, all he had to do was thoroughly go over the plans for when the train got there with the gold.

According to the documents he found, the plan was simple. The train would come in about dusk. The lawman was to be waiting at the depot with a wagon for the gold and extra men as guards. As soon as the gold was loaded, the Marshal and his deputies would drive it back to the bank where Botkin, the banker, would be waiting to let them in to load it into the vault.

But Brent had another plan, a better plan, at least it was for him. He would meet the train, with the Marshal's badge shining and he'd have two deputies with him. Only they'd be his buddies, not townsmen as Dillon usually chose. And once the gold was loaded, and he'd signed Dillon's signature to the forms, they would drive it away from the station and keep going. He and his partners would be rich and Dillon would be left to face the music.

Sitting back in the chair, he took a sip of the acrid brew in his cup before he thought and grimced. "I need something better than this." He said as he got to his feet and headed to the door. As he stepped out onto the boardwalk, he paused for a moment to consider his choices.

He could head down to the one of the saloons for a beer or he could go on over to the café for coffee. It was too early for a beer. But if he headed to the café, he knew he'd most likely have to sit with the marshal's whining assistant and probably the old doctor as well. He didn't want their company this morning.

Besides, after last night, he knew that he now needed to make a slight change in the plans, or at least an addition.

Although the old man hadn't understood what Kitty meant, and it was likely that few others would, it was a possibility that someone, somewhere, might listen to her claims of someone impersonating Matt Dillon and believe them. If that happened, there was a possibility of Matt Dillon being cleared of the charges, Brent knew he would face. And if that happened, then Brent's carefree and anonymous existence would cease to be.

Every bounty hunter and lawman in existence would be looking for a very tall man with dark hair and blue eyes who looked just like Matt Dillon. And since those were few and far between, he would have to run and hide. And that was something Brent had no desire to do.

Over the course of 10 years, he, Nick and Hoke had held up numerous stages, banks, businesses and even a train and not once had anyone gotten a close look at him. Brent wanted it to stay that way. He liked being able to roam about freely without a wanted poster following him around.

That meant one thing. When Brent and his partners left town, they'd not be going alone. Kitty Russell would be taking the trip with them.

Deciding on a beer after all, Brent made his way down to the Lady Gay. He didn't want to be distracted by a pretty girl while he figured things out and he knew the Lady Gay didn't have any pretty girls.

"Morning, Marshal." Herman the bartender and owner looked up in surprise when Brent pushed in through the doors. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, Herman." Brent nodded. "Gimme a beer, will ya?"

Herman looked at him strangely. "A beer? It's a little early ain't it?"

Brent glared at the short little man. "Not for me it ain't. Now are you gonna sell me a beer or do I need to go somewhere else?"

Swallowing hard, Herman swiftly drew a beer and placed it on the counter in front of the lawman, nodding when Brent tossed a coin on the bar top in payment. "Thanks, Marshal."

Brent nodded in reply and took his beer to a table near the back of the empty saloon. Sitting down, he took his hat off and tossed it upside down on the table and leaned back in the chair to consider his problem.

Although Kitty was suspicious of him, he didn't think she was fully convinced that he wasn't the man she loved. Because of that, he might be able to convince her to take another buggy ride with him, but when? He wouldn't be able to do that before the gold came in and he wasn't going to be waiting around town for long after it came in and was loaded on the wagon. And he sure couldn't take her to the depot with him.

Taking another pull from his mug, Brent sat in silence pondering the situation when it suddenly dawned on him how to work it. It would be tricky, and he'd have to time it just right, but if it worked, he'd be riding out of town tonight with a wagon load of gold and a beautiful red head.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chester stormed, as much as he was able anyway, down the boardwalk towards the stable late that afternoon. He was angry and hurt. Mr. Dillon had been away from the jail most of the day and when he had finally returned, he'd informed Chester that he wanted him to ride out to Enoch Miller's place, ten miles out of town, to check on him.

He'd never been so insulted in his life.

"But why, Mr. Dillon?" Chester had questioned. "They ain't nothing wrong with old Enoch. He just don't like to come into town too often. You know that. Sides, that gold shipments coming in, in a couple hours. Shouldn't I be with you when it gets here?"

"Chester, I gave you an order." The tall man gave him a stern look. "Now are you going to do what I say or do I need to get another assistant? You know, one that will actually follow instructions?"

"You… you mean, you'd fire me?" Chester paled at the thought. He knew it'd be almost impossible for him to find another job like the one he had. But more than that, it bothered him beyond belief that he'd made Mr. Dillon so angry that he'd actually fire him.

"I mean I'd fire you." Brent glared at him intimidatingly. He needed Chester out of town and by sending him to check on the farmer, he'd have the benefit of having him out of the way without having to kill him.

Killing was something that Brent avoided like the plague when he could. Not so much because he cared about the shedding of blood or the loss of life but simply because it was messy. The law wouldn't look as hard for a bandit who didn't kill as it did for one who had killed.

Chester had finally backed down, grabbed his hat and marched out of the jail, without another protest. As he hurriedly saddled his horse and headed out of town, he thought back to something Miss Kitty had said about Mr. Dillon not being the same. He figured he knew now, what she meant.

Brent relaxed when he saw Chester riding by the jail, scowl intact and hat pulled low. Brent could care less how angry Chester got. It didn't matter. What did matter was getting him out of town and now that he was, or soon would be, Brent could put the next plan in motion.

Glancing at the clock on the jail wall, Brent grabbed his hat and coat and stepped out onto the boardwalk. Looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to him, Brent hurried down the street and slipped into the alley just behind the Long Branch.

"Hoke?" He looked around seeing no one.

Suddenly the the man emerged from behind a tall stack of crates and stepped over to him.

Brent nodded to him. "Nick with the lawman?"

"Yeah," Hoke answered, his gravelly voice low. "He's got him in that old shack just at the edge of town. He'll cut his ropes just before he takes off. It was a battle to do it, but we got some more of that stuff down him and it should wear off by morning."

"Good." Brent looked a little relieved. "I got a job for ya. I need ya to do it now."

"What?" Hoke asked.

"There's a girl in there," he jerked his thumb in the direction of the Long Branch. "She's got red hair, blue eyes, real pretty. I need you to get her out of there. Now she don't take men to her room so you'll have to think of something else. But get her and take her to the shack where we've got the lawman and tell Nick to tie her up. When he quits the place, he's to bring her with him. Ya hear? When you're done, meet me at the depot."

"Why?" Hoke asked, looking perturbed at the idea of bringing some one along with them. "We ain't going to need a hostage are we?"

Brent shook his head. "No. I've got everything planned to a fair thee well. There won't be any need of that. But that girl knows, or at least thinks she knows that I'm not Matt Dillon. I don't want her carrying that tale until we're clean out of the country. Besides," he arched a brow wickedly at his accomplice. "I don't figure you gents would mind having a pretty saloon girl along for the ride, would you?"

Hoke grinned at that but then suddenly sobered. "How am I posed to get her out of there? She ain't likely to come cause I'm so charming."

Brent thought for a minute before his eyes lit up. "Tell her the lawman's been hurt. Tell he asked for her. She'll most likely come then, just to be sure if nothing else. If she don't, pull your gun on her, if you have to, but get her out of there and over to the shack."

Hoke shrugged. "Alright."

As he turned to head around to the front of the bar, Brent reached out and caught his sleeve. "Don't hurt her. Get her out of there and over to Nick but don't you or he lay a hand on her, you hear me?"

"I hear." Hoke acknowledged as he pulled his arm away and left.

Brent watched him for a moment then headed off for the stable to get the wagon.

As hw headed over to the stable, Matt opened his eyes a crack. He was no longer in the shed he could tell. And he wasn't alone. Without moving his head or giving any indication of being awake, he looked around and could see booted feet just across from him.

They'd moved him. Good. He didn't know where or why but that wasn't important right then. What was; was getting away and back to Dodge. Lying perfectly still, Matt listened intently for any indication that the man was not alone. Deciding he was, Matt was about to spring up from the cot he was on when he heard voices coming from outside.

Stifling a groan, he remained still and waited to see what would happen next.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

"Let go of me." Kitty cried out for the fourth time as the odious man, who held her arm tightly, drug her towards the edge of town. "What's this about? Where's Matt? What have you done with him."

"Yer fixin' on findin' out." Hoke answered as they finally reached the shack. Opening the door, he shoved her in ahead of him and quickly shut the door.

"Matt!" Kitty cried when she saw him lying on the cot. Instantly she crossed over and knelt down beside him, running her hand across her forehead. "Matt? Matt, can you hear me?" The sight, of Matt lying there unconscious and looking so vulnerable, scared her. She couldn't bear the thought of his being hurt.

"What's this?" Nick asked as he watched the pretty girl making over the lawman. "Who's she?"

"Some saloon girl, Brent wants us to hold onto." Hoke answered. "Said she might could give us away afore we want. So he wants her to stay here with you and he said when you quit this place to bring her with you."

As he continued to lie still on the cot, Matt's heart began to pound. Weak as he was, he thought he might've been able to take the one man, but he knew he wouldn't be able to take two of them and protect Kitty at the same time. And if he knew anything, he knew he'd have to protect her.

Kitty ignored the two men and continued to caress Matt's face with her hand. She didn't understand any of this and right then, she didn't care to. She only wanted Matt to be alright.

"Brent headed over to the depot?" Nick asked, his eyes darting back to the pretty girl on the floor.

"Yeah," Hoke answered noting where his partner's eyes were. "Don't touch her, Nick." He warned. "Brent says we was to leave her strictly alone and not to touch her. Tie her up or something if she gets out of hand but don't hurt her."

Nick grinned. "I weren't plannin' on hurtin' her. I had something a little more fun in mind."

"I mean it, Nick." Hoke's voice was gruffer than usual. "Brent says to leave her alone and I don't think you want to cross him."

Nick's grin disappeared when he thought of the extremely tall man who was the acknowledged leader of their little group. He might like to take the girl, but he wasn't fool enough to actually do it if Brent said not to. "Alright, alright."

Hoke studied him for a second then nodded slightly and turned for the door. "As soon as you hear that train whistle grab her and hightail it out of here. You know where to meet."

"Alright, I'll be there." Nick answered.

Matt continued to lie still and listen as he heard the door open and close again. With Kitty there, he knew he'd have to be a little more cautious, but he figured he could still get the man in the room with them.

Nick looked down at the beautiful girl kneeling by the lawman and reached down, grabbing her arm. "Come on, Red. Get away from him."

Kitty jerked her arm away from him and pulled back closer to Matt. Unconscious or no, she felt safer next to him. "What'd you do to him? What's this all about?"

"He ain't hurt." Nick snarled as he once again reached down to grab her arm. But this time, it wasn't Kitty that stopped him.

"You're right." Matt said as he suddenly sprang up from the cot and flung himself at his captor. "I'm not hurt, but you will be." Kitty stared in utter confusion as Matt raised his right hand and backhanded the villain into oblivion before he could fully take in the fact that the lawman was awake and angry.

As the bandit flew backwards and landed on the floor in a heap, Matt quickly turned and pulled Kitty up and into his arms. "You alright?" He asked anxiously. "Huh? You okay?"

Kitty nodded against his chest as her arms went around his waist. "I'm okay, Matt. Are you?"

Matt bent his head and kissed on the crown of her head. "I'm okay, now that you're safe."

Matt didn't know how good that felt to Kitty. Finally pulling back a little, Kitty looked up at him questioningly. "Matt, what's this all about. Are those men the reason you've been acting so strange this week? Are the reason you've been so different?"

Matt furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. "What are you talking about?" He asked her.

Kitty pulled completely out of his arms and sat down wearily on the side of the cot Matt had just vacated. "You've been so strange lately, Matt." She said with a plaintive note. "You were acting like yourself at all. I even had the strangest feeling that you weren't you."

Matt sat down beside her, scratching the back of his in confusion. "Kitty, I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't been around this week. Five days ago, two men grabbed me after rounds, knocked me out and took me to some abandoned farm. I've been there ever since, until tonight when they brought me here.

Kitty looked as though she'd been slapped. "Oh, God, Matt." She gasped. "Then it… it wasn't… you? It really wasn't? I wasn't just imagining things?"

"Kitty, what are you talking about?" Matt asked, concerned when he noted how pale she'd turned.

Kitty swallowed hard and looked up at him. "He looks just like you, Matt." She whispered. "He sounds like you and walks like you. I thought he was you but then I… well, I didn't. There was something… he…" She dropped her head, aware she probably wasn't making much sense but not sure how to explain it.

"Kitty?" Matt reached over and took her hand. "Are you saying there's someone in town that looks like me?"

Kitty nodded, an unbidden tear slipping down her face, as she thought of the kiss she'd shared with the stranger she thought was Matt.

"It's the gold shipment." Matt suddenly released her hand and got to his feet. "They're planning on taking the gold shipment from the train. They must've sent someone in to impersonate me and then they would leave me to take the blame."

"Oh, Matt." Kitty knew he was probably right. That was why that man kept his distance from most people, so they wouldn't notice the differences between him and Matt. And now that she thought about it, she realized there were several of those. The faint smell of cigarette smoke on him, when Matt didn't smoke. The odd little scar on his right thumb, that she hadn't remembered seeing before. The signs were there but she'd missed them. "I'm so sorry, Matt." She whispered.

Something in the catch of voice and look on her beautiful face drew Matt and before he could give it any further thought, he pulled her up to him again and lowered his lips to hers. For a long moment, they remained that way locked together by more than the kiss.

Finally Kitty pulled back from him and looked up into his beautiful eyes. That was the kiss she'd been longing for, the one that felt right. "Matt… I… I…"

"I know, Kitty." Matt smiled gently at her. "Me too. And we'll talk about it. But right now I have a robbery to stop."

Kitty shook her and reached up, pecking him on the cheek. "WE have a robbery to stop."

Matt grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

After tying Nick up and gagging him, Matt grabbed the man's gun and he and Kitty made their way back into the town proper as swiftly as they could. Matt, still lingering under the effects whatever it is was they'd drugged him with, had to stop once and clear his head before he could go further. That worried Kitty quite a bit, but he constantly reassured her he was fine.

"What are we going to do, Matt?" Kitty whispered to him as they stood near the depot and watched the wagon pull next to the tracks and come to a stop. A very tall man and a much shorter one could be seen climbing out of the wagon.

Matt didn't reply for a moment as he took his first look at his double. He realized it must be the same man that had come into the shed with him the other night and he knew now why the man's voice sounded familiar. It was his, or at least close enough to fool everyone.

"Matt?" Kitty clutched his arm. "What do we do?"

" _We_ do nothing." He finally answered. "You go slip around to the back and go over to the jail. See if you can find Chester. Have him grab a rifle and meet me here. Train's not supposed to be in for another half hour and it'll take em a little time to get the wagon loaded, so he'll have time to get here."

"What about you?" Kitty asked, worried that he may try to stop them alone.

Matt understood what she was thinking. He patted the hand that clutched his arm. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try anything by myself. There's too many people milling around that depot and I don't doubt those men would use them as shields if they had to. Besides, I may have a better idea. Now, go on. Go get Chester and tell him to hurry."

Kitty nodded and started to scoot off before stopping. Looking back at Matt, she kissed him on the cheek and then turned and left. Running as fast as she could, Kitty made it to the jail in record time and ran in prepared to stir Chester to action. Only Chester wasn't there.

Anywhere.

Deciding he must be at the Long Branch, though why she couldn't imagine, she opened the door to head back out again and ran right into Hobie, veteran of The War Between the States and drunk extraordinaire. "I'm sorry, Hobie." She apologized. "I'm in a hurry, I've got to find Chester."

Hobie, who thought Miss Kitty was a slice of sunshine and the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, smiled at her but shook his head. "Chester's gone." He told her. "Saw em ride out a couple hours ago."

Kitty paled. "Are you sure, Hobie? Really sure?"

Hobie nodded. "Yep. Ain't got no idee where he went, but he's all gone."

Kitty took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. If Hobie was right, then there'd be no way to find Chester and get him back to town in time.

She could go on down to the Long Branch anyway and double check or maybe even get some of the men down there to help. But one of the first things she'd learned about Matt Dillon was he didn't take kindly to help from well-meaning amateurs. But still, he wouldn't have asked for her to get Chester if he hadn't of needed help.

Just then she heard the train whistle as it neared the depot. There was no time to get anyone. Quickly, she ran back into the jail, grabbed a rifle and cartridges from the unlocked rack, another thing the real Matt wouldn't have done, and headed back to the train station. Matt needed backup and she was determined to provide it.

Matt sat quietly, waiting for Chester, as he watched the train come in slowly. The whole thing made sense now. They kidnapped him and kept him drugged and hidden while that man took his place and impersonated him for a few days. Once the gold was loaded onto the wagon, his impersonator would sign for it and simply drive it away, leaving Matt to face the charges of the gold's theft.

Watching them, Matt smiled slightly. It was good plan but it wasn't going to work. Not if he had anything to say about it.

Just then Matt the sound of urgent footsteps coming up behind him and he whirled around to find Kitty coming towards him, rifle in hand and a determined look on her face. "Kitty?" He hissed. "What are you doing back here? I told you to find Chester and then go home."

"Chester's gone, Matt." Kitty whispered back to him when she reached his side. "Hobie said he rode out a couple of hours ago."

"Hobie?" Matt shook his head. "Kitty, Hobie was probably drunk and just thought he saw him."

"Well, maybe, but it didn't matter." Kitty answered. "Chester wasn't at the jail and I didn't have time to go look for him. So I grabbed a rifle and hurried back."

Matt looked askance at her. "That things about as big as you are. Do you know how to use it?"

Kitty shot him a look of irritation. "You just tell me when and where and I'll show you."

Matt started to reply but just then he saw movement and looked back over at the train platform. The gold had now been loaded and the fake Matt had signed for it. Matt looked back over at his impromptu deputy and then around them trying to figure the best place to set up where Kitty couldn't get hurt.

"Kitty, see those shrubs over there? Just to the side of that shack?" He pointed

Kitty turned her head and noted the spot. "Yes."

"Get over there and get behind them." He told her. "Don't let yourself be seen but keep that rifle aimed at the men in that wagon. I'm going to stop them but if they make any moves fire. You understand?"

Kitty nodded but then shook her head. "You're not going to go out there alone?"

"I won't be alone." He tipped his hat to her. "You'll be with me, whether they see you or not." He reached over and gave her a quick kiss. "Now go and keep down."

Kitty, his kiss still lingering on her lips, finally nodded, turned and left, crouched down the whole way til she reached the shrubs he'd pointed out.

"I get out of this," Matt whispered to himself as he watched her go, "and I'm gonna do a whole lot more than just kiss that girl."

Taking a deep breath, Matt turned his attention back to the business at hand. Pulling his gun, he waited until the wagon was completely away from the train station and headed his way. When it almost reached him, Matt squared his shoulders, stood up and marched out into the middle of the street and pointed his gun at the bandits.

"Hold it!" He demanded.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

"Hold it!" Matt demanded as he stepped out in front of the oncoming wagon and the man on horseback. "You're under arrest."

Kitty silently gasped as she watched Matt face down the two men alone. But then she reminded herself, he wasn't completely alone. He had her, and she was bound and determined to make him proud of her.

Quickly riding up beside the wagon, Brent motioned for the driver to stop and then looked down at his double, consternation and admiration both lighting his face. "How'd you get out here, lawman?" He asked; ignoring Matt's drawn gun and the fierce look on his face. "You need to be stepping back and dropping that gun unless you want to die tonight."

Kitty quietly cocked the rifle she held and raised it a bit, pointing it directly at the tall man who had impersonated Matt. If he so much as looked like he would pull his gun on Matt, she was prepared to kill him.

But Brent didn't pull his gun or move his hand anywhere near it. Instead, he calmly sat atop his horse and stared straight at Matt. "You hear me, Dillon?" He asked when Matt didn't move and didn't answer. "You need to be stepping back. I have no desire to kill you. I would've done it already if I had. But you will die tonight if you don't move."

"No." Matt said calmly with no trace of emotion on his handsome face. "The game's up, Mister. I'm not about to let you drive that gold out of here. Now, I've got one of your men already and it won't take me much to get you two. So unless _you_ want to die, you'd better drop your guns. Now!"

Hidden behind the bushes, Kitty watched the two bandits intently. She knew if Matt died then she would too and she had no intentions of dying anytime soon. So she readied herself and when she saw the man in the wagon slowly begin to move his hand down towards his gun, she fired without a moment's hesitation, hitting him in the shoulder.

As the man tumbled from the wagon, Matt instantly threw himself to the side and found a safe spot behind a nearby tree. He just barely avoided the bullet sent by the injured man as he fell from the seat and to the ground to take cover behind the wagon. He was hurt but not fatally and he was determined to not let Dillon take him.

Brent jumped from his horse and rolled several times before landing just behind the same bushes Kitty was hidden amongst. Before she could move, he instantly grabbed her, pulling the rifle from her hands and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Dillon." He called as he began to drag a struggling Kitty out into the open in front of him. "I got something of yours here. You don't want her dead; you'd better toss your gun and let us pass."

Matt closed his eyes in fear and exasperation for a moment. He knew he shouldn't have let her try and help him, even if she did manage to take down one of the villains. But now she was being used a pawn in this man's game and Matt was afraid she'd be killed.

Kitty, who was a much better judge of men than she was given credit for, didn't believe Brent would shoot her. In fact, she was so convinced that she made a move that nearly got her killed. Stomping hard on Brent's foot and kicking back and connecting with his shin, she pulled herself away from him and then started running across the street towards Matt.

She'd been right about Brent. Though he'd recovered from her assault quickly, he couldn't bring himself to fire on her. Not her.

But Kitty hadn't given thought to the other man, Hoke, who'd taken sanctuary behind the wagon. Seeing her running form he, like his partner, sought to use her to gain freedom from this situation. But unlike Brent, he had no qualms about shooting her "You!" Hoke pushed himself up from the wagon, his gun pointed straight at Kitty. "Come here."

Kitty gasped when she realized the position she'd placed herself in. She didn't want to be shot, but she didn't want to go to the villain behind the wagon either. Then she saw Matt standing up and moving towards her. "No, Matt." She called. "Go back."

But Matt ignored her. She was in danger and he couldn't stand that. In many ways, he felt he'd just found her, he wasn't ready to lose her, not like this. He began to move forward in Kitty's direction.

Brent took in the scene before him in some confusion. In a very short time, he'd become very fond of the little red head. He'd seen something in her he'd not found any where else and if he didn't do something quick, that something would be lost. "Hoke!" He yelled as he too started towards Kitty. "Don't! Let her go!"

But Hoke, for the first time, ignored Brent Holloran and deliberately began to cock his trigger. "I said, come here, woman."

Kitty, caught between the three men, was at first unsure what to do. She knew Matt would never hurt her or allow her to be hurt if he could help it. And she was fairly certain that Matt's look a like wouldn't hurt her either. But this third man, she had no doubts he would kill her without hesitation. Still, if it meant keeping Matt safe…

She didn't have time, though, to finish that thought as things suddenly took a turn for the worse. Deciding to move towards Hoke to keep him from shooting, Kitty took two steps before she tripped over a rock and lurched forward, unable to stop her self from falling towards him.

Her sudden movement startled Hoke and without thinking, he leveled the gun in her direction and began to pull the trigger.

Matt and Brent both were close to Kitty and both men threw themselves in front her. Matt managed to reach Kitty first, grabbing her by the waist; he pulled her to him and dropped, rolling to the side to take them both out of the line of fire. As soon as he was sure she was safe he rolled over again and fired his weapon at Hoke. His bullet took the man in the head and he was dead before he hit the ground.

Glancing back at Kitty, to reassure himself she was safe, Matt spun around towards Brent, his gun still raised and ready but he saw instantly it wasn't necessary. Hoke had only managed to get one shot off but that shot had hit Brent squarely in the chest. By the amount of blood on his shirt front, Matt knew the battle was over.

Kitty, who'd pulled herself up, saw the same thing Matt had. Quickly, she got back to her feet and moved over to him. She didn't know the man's name, but she knew he'd tried to save her life and had, for a moment at least, cared about her.

Matt had already knelt down beside him and rolled him onto his back. He didn't miss the expression on the man's face when Kitty neared or her expression either.

"Yo… You okay?" Brent asked Kitty when she got close.

Kitty swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes."

"Good." He grimaced at the pain before looking over at Matt. "Al…most… had it all. Al… most made it out… with the… money. It al… most went a… acc… ording to plan."

Matt nodded slightly. "Yeah." The man was dying. There was no need to inform him about the law's reach.

Brent glanced once again at Kitty and then turned his eyes to Matt one last time. "She… she's worth more… than it all, Dillon." He gasped. "Yo… You can have the… the world with… her. She… she is the… plan. Don't… let her go…" Unable to finish, he closed his eyes as his head turned to the side and he drew his last breath.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

For several long moments, after Brent died, Matt sat beside him looking in awe and horror at his face on the dead man's body. Kitty's soft crying brought him back to the situation at hand. Getting up, he pulled Kitty up with him and wrapped his arms around her. "Come on, Kitty. Let me take you out of here."

Kitty nodded against his chest as she allowed him to lead her away. It wasn't until they'd reached the doors of the Long Branch that she finally relinquished her hold of him and stepped back. "Matt… I…"

"You go on in, Kitty." He said softly. "I've got to get those men taken care of and then I'll be back."

Kitty's tearstained face looked up earnestly at him. "You will?"

Matt nodded giving her a small hug before pushing her in through the doors. "I will."

With a deep sigh, Matt turned and headed back to where the wagon still sat with two dead men surrounding it. He never saw Kitty open the doors again and watch him as he strode away.

 **(*(**M &K**)*)**

After a perfunctory exam by Doc, to officially confirm manner of death, Brent and Hoke were hastily and quietly buried. Matt got the remaining bandit, Nick, to tell him the full names of his partners and their histories. It was an interesting tale.

All three men had met as disillusioned youngsters in the waning days of the war and instantly formed a friendship of sorts. Brent, the taller and by two months, older of the three became sort of the unofficial leader of the little group and when he realized their side was going to lose, he decided it was time to leave.

It didn't take much convincing to get the other two to follow him and soon they deserted their stations and any form of lawfulness they'd ever had. It wasn't long after that before they turned to robbery to keep themselves going. They'd never killed anyone, Nick bragged, but they seldom left anyplace empty handed.

Matt shook his head. This time, two of them left dead and the third would leave in irons. Things didn't go according to plan for them at all.

Matt did manage to make it back to the Long Branch that night but only for a moment. With Chester still nowhere to be found and a prisoner to guard, he'd simply checked on Kitty and then returned to the jail. But even that first night, he and she were aware something had changed between them.

They'd been attracted to one another from first glance and each time they spoke to the other or had supper or dinner or simply a beer with each other, their attraction, trust, and yes, they were now sure of it, their love, had grown.

Though Matt was still adamant that he could not marry and that he couldn't even claim her publically, Kitty constantly reassured him that she didn't care. She loved him. She'd always love him, no matter what he did or didn't do. Matt had no doubts of the veracity of that statement. He knew now that he loved her too. His feelings for Lee and others had never matched what he felt for Kitty, they had never come close.

So it began, halting at first but each day their bond became stronger. When they finally did come together, in the age old way between men and women, it was more than either one of them had expected. They realized they'd found their soul mate.

According to the plans Matt had set forth with, he would never get married never get entangled with any woman. He would remain alone and solitary in order to hone his edge as a lawman. But that was before he met Kitty Russell. After that, his plans changed and he didn't regret it. He still wouldn't marry legally, but with her, he was as close as he would get.

According to the plans Kitty had set forth, she was to head back to New Orleans find herself a job and live the rest of her life there, maybe one day buy into a gambling house. But that was before she rushed through the rain to a small café in a muddy little town called Dodge and saw the man she knew she'd love forever.

Their lives never went according to plan, at least their plans. Neither one of them. But neither one of them cared. They realized that somehow there had been a greater plan in store for their lives that superseded anything else.

In his solitary moments, alone out on the prairie with no company save his horse and his thoughts, Matt reflected on that. Brent Hollaran had impersonated him, imprisoned him and tried to frame him. And yet at the same time, he made him realize just exactly what was most important.

Considering all that had happened, Matt found it difficult to believe that it had all happened by coincidence. He had a feeling some great planner had taken control of his and Kitty's lives in order to make them better.

If asked, Kitty would've probably agreed. And she was grateful for that. Call it what you will, God, fate, the stars aligned, she didn't care.

It all amounted to one thing.

She and Matt were together, according to plan.

The End


End file.
